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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · lash · staff · pass · toast · season · bat · dip

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. season — of the year
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pass — a permit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. toast — bread
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. dip — to sink
  22. staff — employees
  23. bat — the animal
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com